Enjoy your Southend-on-Sea Summer safely

While
revelling in the delights of Southend-on-Sea this Summer, residents and
visitors are being urged to be beach and barbeque savvy and to remember some
important seasonal safety tips too.

Watch out on the water

Always
keep a look out for the tide’s direction whilst on the beach. Tide
timetables are available from Southend Pier Visitor Information centre or
look on the internet.

Please be
aware that you can get cut off on the estuary very quickly, particularly
on the mud flats as the tide comes back in suddenly.

Please
don’t walk too far out. Many rescues are for people cut off by rising
water

Look out
for slippery rocks, offshore winds and other water users.

Footwear
is advisable to avoid treading on sharp objects like broken shells or
glass which may be hidden in the sand.

If you do
get into trouble or see someone in need of emergency assistance, please
call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

We have 18
yellow, emergency-only telephones along the seafront and there is a First Aid
Post at Leigh Bell Wharf.

If you need non-urgent assistance, Resort Assistants can
be found patrolling the beach areas and can give information ranging from Beach
Safety to First Aid advice. You can also contact them by calling 01702
618747.

Get SeaSmart
Wristbands from the Visitor Information Centre at Southend Pier entrance

Children can get a free water-proof and tear-proof
wristband for parents to write their contact details on, should families become
separated.

Man-made Hazards (e.g. piers, groynes, harbour walls etc)

Do not swim near man-made
structures

Never run or climb, jump or dive
off man-made hazards/structures

Take great care when walking on
wet or uneven surfaces and look out for sharp objects. Wearing footwear
will help

Remember to follow all safety
signs you see.

Sun Safe

To prevent sunburn, heat exhaustion or heat stroke, make
sure to:

slip on a shirt (preferably a
long-sleeved one)

slap on a hat

slop on the appropriate sunscreen
regularly throughout the day.

Inflatables (e.g. dinghies, rubber-rings etc.)

If you bring an inflatable to the beach you should:

make sure that it is secured or
held by an adult so it doesn’t drift away.

Shoebury East Beach is the only beach with a designated barbecue area for
use any time during the day. This is first come first served. Please be sure to
properly extinguish your barbecue before throwing it away.

Barbecue safety

Think through the following advice whenever and wherever
you barbecue:

Don’t wash
raw chicken

Clean
surfaces and utensils first with hot water with detergent and then with
antibacterial spray - then wipe with disposable paper towel, not cloths

Wash hands
in hot soapy water after touching raw foods

Don’t
place cooked foods where raw foods have been

Cook
poultry and burgers thoroughly all the way through

The vast
majority of food poisoning is caused by the bacteria Campylobacter and raw
chicken is one of the most common places where “Campy” is found.

Normally
Campylobacter takes between two and five days to produce symptoms of diarrhoea
and abdominal pain but these can be severe. Symptoms can also last two to five
days or longer.

It only takes
a moment to contaminate your food. Campylobacter can be spread easily and just
a few bacteria could cause illness.

Another
trendy but dangerous practice is serving undercooked burgers. Although you can
sear the outside of a steak or beef joint to make it safe, you must ensure the
centre of any poultry or any red meat that has been minced or rolled is cooked
to at least 75°C.

It will have
been cooked well enough if there is no pinkness in the middle and the juices
run clear.

Cllr Graham
Longley, Executive Councillor for Enterprise, Tourism and Economic Development,
said: “With six million visitors a year, and 178,000 residents, Southend has a
great deal to offer everyone. We hope these tips will help everyone have a safe
sojourn here this summer and for the rest of the year too!”

Cllr Martin
Terry, Executive Councillor for Public Protection, Waste and Transport, said:
“Please take note of the advice given here. Just a little forethought can help
families stay safe and well to enjoy summer to the full. We would also urge all
our visitors and residents to do their best to help us keep our beaches as
clean as possible for everyone by taking their litter home with them,
particularly items which can be dangerous such as glass.”

We use simple text files called 'cookies'. Some of these cookies are essential to make our site work and others help us to improve by giving us some insight into how the site is being used. For more information, including how to turn cookies off, see more about cookies - or simply click the Continue button to use this site as normal.